Dust mop envelope and combination



Dec. 10, 1957 E. wlNcKLl-:R

DUST MOP ENVELOPE AND COMBINATION Filed Aug. 15, 1955 4 Y INVENTOR. LOU/5E E'. W/NC/(LER www A r rom 'EVS United rates This invention relates to a launderable envelope or cover for a dust mop and has for one of its objects the provision of a more efcient cover than heretofore, and one that will retain its effectiveness through repeated launderings and which is provided with means for insuring a flat contact between the cover and floor along a straight outer edge that terminates in corners that are adapted to clean in room corners and crevices.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an envelope for a dust mop that includes means for supplying moisture to one edge of the cover and which means also insures holding the cover flat along said edge yet permitting flexibility so that said edge will conform to the shape of obstructions, such as the legs of furniture, floor buttons, etc.

Heretofore, cloth covers or envelopes for brooms have been used, and attempts have been made to overcome the problem of cleaning in the corners of a room. Some such covers contemplate converting a broom into a mop by securing string material to the cover. These latter type of covers retain the same objections that are inherent in string mops, namely; the loose string ends that lling the dirt around. Other covers provide a marginal web or fin around the edges of the cover, but such a web curls and wrinkles, particularly after washing, and does not lie ilat against the floor, thus leaving material on the oor that should be picked up, and since such curling or wrinkling may be at the corners of the cover as well as along the marginal portions, the intended purpose of the web or iin to facilitate cleaning in the corners of a room are defeated.

Applicants envelope is primarily intended for use on a dust mop, and is effective Whether damp or dry. However, provision is made for maintaining a dampened outer edge, which is desirable in many instances for cleaning along dificult base boards and corners where a dampened cloth is more effective than a dry one.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a cover or envelope for a dust mop that is reversible so as to provide four different surfaces, all without impairing the eiciency of the mop in any position of the envelope. Where this has been attempted previously, it usually happens that efficiency is lost in one of the positions. This is not true in the present invention.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a mop having the cover on the head,'..and positioned for cleaning in the corner of a room.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the mop head cover separate from a mop head, with right angle lines indicating a wall and oor.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the cover reversed, or inside out.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

atent O 2,815,521 p Patented Dec. 10, 195.7

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary semi-diagrammatic view illustratlve of terry cloth structure of which the cover is pref; erably made.

In detail, the envelope illustrated comprises a 4blank of terry cloth folded on itself at 1 (Fig. 3) to provide a straight outer edge, and opposed sides 2, 3 of corresponding shape.

The edge 1 may be called the outer or forward edge of the envelope and the edges 4, 5 of the blank that extend perpendicularly of edge 1 may be called the side edges (Fig. 2). These side edges may extend convergently at 6, 7 (Fig, 2) toward the rear edge 8 of the envelope, and said side edges including the convergently extending'edges are stitched or secured together, while the edges,8(rear edge of the envelope) are not secured together. Thus, a separable opening is provided along the rear edge for the mop head 9 (Fig. l) to be inserted into the envelope.

A pair of snap fasteners 12 along said rear edge 8, and equally spaced at opposite sides of a medial line extending through said envelope, provides means for releasably securing the open side of the envelope closed at opposite sides of handle 13 (Fig. l). l

These snap fasteners are to be considered illustrative of a simple, economical and easily attached means for releasably securing the envelope on the mop head, but it is not intended to be restrictive, since there are other conventional fasteners that may be used. However, whatever` means is employed, it is preferable that the means be of the type that will not cause the envelope to wrinkle or be gathered, since the desired eiciency of the envelope comes from its at sides remaining reasonably at.

v It should also be noted that, as seen in Fig. 4, the snap fasteners are readily used when the envelope is reversed or in inside out position, and whatever type of fasteners are employed they should be usable in two positions, or when the envelope is reversed.

Within the envelope along edge 1, or along the fold line of the blank from which the envelope is formed, is a straight, elongated member or strip 10 of sponge rubber or substantially the equivalent thereof insofar as having substantially the resiliency and moisture absorbent characteristics of sponge rubber are concerned.

The member 10 is preferably rectangular in cross sectional contour, and a line of stitching 11 secures the sides 2, 3 of the envelope together along the side of member 10 that is between the member and the mop head whereby a pocket is formed along edge 9 for said member, and this pocket snugly holds the member 10 with two of its opposite flat sides coplanar with the sides 2, 3 when the latter are flat. The ends of the member 1t) terminate substantially at the corresponding ends of side edges 4, 5.

As seen in Fig. 3, the contour of the envelope enclosing the member 10 generally conforms in cross sectional contour to the cross sectional contour of the member,` hence when the forward or outer portion ofthe envelope is flat against the oor, as seen in Figs. l and -3, the,

lower flat surface of the envelope below the member 10.

will be at on the iloor 1 and the forward lower 1C 1171er3 of the envelope will substantially fit in the corner` attirel juncture between the side wall 15 and oor 14.',T1l11s,

whether or not a quarter round or other molding is used,y at the juncture between the floor and wall, a corner of`` ber 10 is soft and will readily yield under pressure to accommodate itself to any variations in the surface of the floor or wall.

The fact that 'the member 10 is preferably moisture absorbent, such as where it is of foam rubber, as distinguished from sponge rubber and the like, will enable it to carry a supply of moisture for gradual release to the portion of the envelope covering it so that the latter will remain damp. In many instances such dampness is particularly desirable, while the remainder of the envelope may remain dry.

The operator can readily moisten only the leading marginal portion of the envelope, if desired, and saturate the sponge rubber, after which the dusting operation can be performed and the said marginal portion will not only remain damp, but the moisture held by the member 10 will tend to make the leading portion hug the floor due tothe added weight of the water.

The resiliency of the member 10 and its tending to straighten out at all times, whether wet or dry, prevents the mop from causing the envelope to bunch and to thereby lose its efficiency. The fact that the member 10 extends to the ends of the edges 4, provides right angle corners at the junctures between edges 4, 5 and edge 1 that will lit into the corners of a room as seen in Fig. 1, and the member will hold the corners of the mop and envelope against the floor at such corners, which result would not occur, except accidentally, were the member 10 omitted or were it not to extend to the corners.

While deep pile terry cloth is the preferred material, since it provides loops 16 on both sides of the material (Fig. 6) so thus providing the four dusting, cleaning, and polishing surfaces, the invention is not necessarily restricted to the use of such cloth. The dust collected by terry cloth readily shakes therefrom, and repeated use of such cloth on a surface will polish the latter.

It is seen from the foregoing that the use of the envelope not only overcomes the objection to the uncontrolled llying strings of a string or yarn dust mop, but the mop can be kept clean since the envelope can be more readily washed and dried than the mop head, and four separate clean surfaces are usable before the envelope is washed. Also, attempts to wash a mop head result in the metal fittings becoming Wet and rusted, thus not only weakening the material of the mop, but also staining it. The use of present envelope will overcome this problem thereby materially adding to the life of the mop.

The details herein described in detail are not to be interpreted as being restrictive of the invention, but are merely illustrative of preferred structure.

I claim:

1. An envelope for the cleaning head of a dust mop comprising: a blank of cloth folded upon itself to provide a pair of opposed sides integrally joined along -a straight line defined by the line of fold and corresponding edges extending away from the ends of said line of fold substantially normal to said line, means lsecuring said correspending edges together, the edges of said blankopposite said line of fold being separable for passage of the handle of such head when the latter is within said envelope,

means for releasably securing said last mentioned edges together, and an elongated, resilient, soft stilener of substantially greater thickness than said cloth secured between s'aid sides along said line of fold for yieldably holdin'g'the corners of said envelope at the ends of said member extended to facilitate cleaning in corners, the space between said sides and between said elongated member and said separable edges being free for insertion and withdrawal of said head independently of said member.

2. An envelope for the cleaning head of a dust mop comprising: a blank of cloth folded upon itself to provide a pair of opposed sides integrally joined along a straight line defined by the line of fold and corresponding edges extending away from the ends of said line of fold substantially normal to said line, means securing said corresponding edges together, the edges of said blank opposite said line of fold being separable for passage of the handle of such head when the latter is within said envelope, means for releasably securing said last mentioned edges together, and an elongated member having the resilient and moisture absorbent characteristics of foam rubber secured between said sides along said line of fold for yieldably holding the corners of said envelope extended, the space between said sides and between said elongated member and said separable edges being free for insertion and withdrawal of said head independently of said member.

3. An envelope for the cleaning head of a dust mop comprising: a blank of cloth folded upon itself to provide a pair of opposed sides integrally joined along a straight line defined by the line of fold and corresponding edges extending away from the ends of said line of fold substantially normal to said line, means securing said corresponding edges together, the edges of said blank opposite said line of fold being separable for passage of the handle of such head when the latter is within said envelope, means for releasably securing said last mentioned edges together, and an elongated member having the resilient and moisture absorbent characteristics of foam rubber secured between said sides along said line of fold for yieldably 4holding the corners of said envelope extended, said blank being of terry cloth to provide a corresponding cleaning surface formed of loops of thread on opposite surfaces of each of said sides whereby said envelope is reversible on a mop head, and said sides being secured together along the side of said member that is opposite to said line of fold so that said member will be fully enclosed by said cloth separate from the head of a mop that is adapted to be enclosed by said envelope.

4. In combination with the head of a string mop having a handle projecting from one side thereof, an envelope of terry cloth enclosing said head and through which said handle projects, said envelope having a straight edge along the side thereof opposite to said handle, which edge extends at right angles to said handle, an elongated pocket within said envelope alongv said straight edge and anelongated member of material having the resilient, moisture absorbent characteristics of foam rubber withinsaid' References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bernstein Jan. 13, 1,942v Bernbaum July 31, 1951 

